de mello souza



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

P. DE MELLO $0UZA, Jr. 11LA1T1NG MAGHINE.

No. 343,912. Patented June 15, 1886.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Modem P. DE MELLO SOUZA, Jr.

PLAIT'ING MACHINE.

No. 343,912. Patented June 15, 1886.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

P. DE MELLO SOUZA,I Jr.

PLAITING MACHINE.

Patented June 15, 1886.

N. PETERS. Phxa-uxvwgmphzr. washingmn. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

rEDEo DE MELLo soUzA, JR., or rrHAoA, NEW YORK.

PLAITING-MACHINE.

SPCIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent Nol 343,912, dated June 15%,1886.

Application filcd February 16, 1886. Serial No. 192.067. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known th at I, PEDRO DE MELLO SoUzA, Jr., a subject of the Emperorof Brazil, temporarily residing at Ithaca, in the county of Tompkins andState of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements inPlaiting- Machines, of which the following is a specification.

I have produced an improved machine for Io plaiting fabrics, in whichthe plaiting operation is effected by the (zo-operation of twocrimping-plates and pressure-rolls, one plate having a Vertical movementin relation to a table and to the pressure-rolls, to form a fold in thegoods by the descent of said plate beneath the table in front of saidrolls, and the other crimping-plate moving horizontally beneath thetable to feed the plait or fold to the pressure-rolls,whereby each fold,as it is made, is carried between the rolls in succession, and theplaited goods thns fed out upon the table, In this operation the fabricis fed forward by the `joint action of the horizontal subjacentcrimping-plate and the pressure-rolls as' fast 2 5 as it is crimped bythe vertically-acting plate.

Provision is made for adjusting the movements of the crimping apparatusat pleasure, to make different widths of plaits, for holding the fabricunder tension during the operation of plaiting, and for the releasementof such tension device for inserting the fabric before the crimpingaction commences; for heating the pressure-rolls between which thefabric, as it is plaited, is passed; and for Operating 3 5 thecrimping-plates in their regular order by connections one with the otherand with one of the pressure-rolls.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, a machine organized for suchoperation is illustrated, and in which- Figure 1 represents, inperspective, my improved plaiting-machine. Fig. 2 shows a detail, inside View, of the operating-connections of the two coactingcrimping-plates. Fig. 2a

shows the tension-plate composed of thin spring-fingers. Fig. 8 shows aVertical section of the machine, in which the Vertical crimp-` img-plateis shown as having formed the first plait or fold, the fabric being heldby the pressure-rolls and the tension device. Fig. 4

shows a similar view, the Vertical crimpingplate being shown raisedabove the table to allow the horizontal crimping-plate vto feed theplait or fold in the fabric into position to be seized by thepressure-rolls. Fig. 5 shows a similar section, enlarged, the plait orfold shown in Fig. 4 being shown as having been partially carriedbetween the pressure-rollsN and the Vertical crimping-plate having againmoved down to form another plait or foldin the fabric. Fig. 6 shows thevertica'lly-operating crimping-plate and its Operating-slide. Fig. 7shows avertical cross-section of the machine, taken in front of therolls. Figs. 8, 9, and 10 are views of different-shaped cam-disks, bywhich the movements of the crimping-plates are effected and adjusted fordifferent widths of plaits. Fig. 11 shows the pressure-rolls.

The machine is designed for the operation of plaiting any fabric by thesimultaneous action of one Vertically-moving crimping-plate, which makesa foldor loop, and a subjacent horizontally-moving crirnping-plate,which assures the plait. The feed-table A rests upon a suitable frame,B, and is suitably fastened thereto.

, Looking at Fig. 1 it will be seen that at about two-thirds distancefrom the front or feeding end of the machine there are uprights O O,crossed by a top beam, D, and on the front of Sc said uprights there areguide-strips a a,which leave space for the play of a Verticalcrimperplate, E, which movement shall be presently described. Looking atsaid Fig. 1 there is seen a slotted bar, b, adapted for up-and-downmovement, and having its play controlled by suitably-arranged stops, cc, whereby the movement of the crimper-plate E, which said slotted barcarries, is ascertained. This plate E is brazed or suitably fastened tosaid vertigo cally moving slotted bar. Projecting from saidVertically-moving bar at the bottom thereof is a pin, d, which works ina slot, e, of suitable length in the bell-crank level' F, Fig. 2,fulcrumed in any suitable manner at the left front corner of thebed-plate or feed-table. The crank-arm f of this lever has a slot, g, ofsuitable length, as is well understood, to engage With a pin,h,projecting from aslide-bar,

G, whose upper edge is fiush with the horizontal crimping-plate which itcarries. This bar G has slots z' i of suitable length.at each end, whichwork over headed pins 7a k, and is operated to move horiz'ontally, aswill be presently described. An upper roll, H, and a lower roll, I, aresuitably journaled in the frame, one below and one above the table, thejournals of the upper roll being cnshioned by springs m in the frame,and both arranged one above the other at the rear side 'of thevertically-moving crimping-plate. Power is applied to the lower roll,and a pinion, W, thereon matches with a pinion, o, Fig. 7, on the upperone on thatside of the machine to which the power is applied. Theserolls are made a little less in diameter at their left ends, at p, Fig.11, for the accommodation of the bindingseam of the fabric to bepl'aited. The journal of the lower or Operating roll, I, Fig. 7, has athreaded projection, q, upon which agrooved cam-disk, J, is screwed andcommunicates motion to the slide-bar G, by means of the pin r, fittedwith a sleeve working in the said camgroove t. It should have beenstated that the journalv of the lower roll, I, with its threaded 8, inthe bar G, whereby the said triple-slotted bar may have free horizontalplay when moved, as hereinafter set forth.

The disks or cams J have grooves t of different descriptions for thepurpose of varying the frequency and length. of the stroke of thecrimpers, thereby giving different widths of plaits. Any one of thesedisks is screwed up to the shoulder z, Fig. 7, upon the threadedprojection q of the lower roll, I, the pin and friction-roller r comingwithin the groove of the cam-disk J, when motion being applied to thesaid lower roll it is transmitted to the horizontally-moving bar G bymeans of the cam J and the pin and friction-roller 7",and from that tothe vertically-moving .crimper-plate E, by means of the bell-orank leverF. A lower crimping-plate, S, is brazed or suitably fastened to thehorizontally-moving bar G, as show at Fig. 7, and moves back and forthas said bar moves. Thns both crimpers are operated by the same motion,the vertically-moving crimper-blade doing its work first,and thehorizontally-moving under one doing its work immediately after. i

In the operation of inserting the fabric to be crimped' between therolls,it is necessary that the cloth should be evenly adj usted as itisfed forward by hand, and for this purpose I pivot to lugs nmrising infront of the rolls from the table a flat bar, T2, carrying a series ofspring.- fingers, s, the said bar having upon its surface a loop,'s2,*which is embraced by a hook, t', of a spiral spring, ts, fastened, aswill. be presently described, to the' top bar of the frame. The clothbeing handled and laid upon the table, the hook t' is moved from theoperator and,by the action of spiral spring ,the bar T* is caused toturn upon its pivot to bring the spring fingers up away from the cloth,as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. The power is then applied, the clothfeedingforward until caught between the rolls, when the hook is then tobe moved forward upon the loop 82, to bring the spring-fingers 8 downupon the cloth, and thus to hold it with a gentle pressure and aid infeeding it uniformly through the rolls. This operation will bennderstood by referring to Figs. 3, 4, and 5.

As before stated, the spiral spring is fastened at the top bar of theframe by a depending hook, tfl which hook passes through said top barland is screw-threaded for the purpose of receiving a thumb-sorew, t, toregnlate the tcnsion of the spring.

Immediately beneath the rolls and secured in the frame there is asuitable alcohol-lamp, T, Figs. 3 and 4, for the purpose of heating therolls. 'Access is had to this lamp by binging the plate V at u in. rearof the uprights and'over which the cloth is delivered after crimping, sothat by pressing down the rear ;end of the said plate it will assume theposition shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4, and may then, lafter the lampis attended, be turned to its normal position. projection q, passesthrough a sufficient slot,

I claim- 1. The combination, with a crimping-blade reciprocatingvertically in relation to the feedbed, of an under or subjacenthorizontally-operating crimping-blade, means for changing the intervalsand lengths of movement of said crmping-blades, pressure-rolls, andmeans for Operating the parts for the purpose of producing an organizedmachine to plait fabrics in different widths, substantially in themanner and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with the feed-bed A of a plaiting-machine, of theOperating-rolls H I,

the movable bar G, provided with the pin r, the grooved disk J, securedto the lower roll, I, to which power is applied, the uprights C C, thevertically-moving bar b, the verticallymoving crimping-blade E,carriedby 'said bar b, the subjacent plate S, carried by said movable bar G,and a bell-crank lever, F, 'substan` tially as and' for the purpose setforth.

3. The combination, in a plaiting-machine, of 'two feed-rolls, twoplaiting blades, and means for connecting said blades With each other,with interchangeable disks, each having a different-shaped groove, andmeans for connecting said disks with the power roll, whereby to controland to change the intervals and lengths of movement of the Verticallyand horizontally moving blades, substantially as described.

4. The combination, in a plaiting-maohine, of the feed-bed, thefeed-rolls, and the vertically and horizontally Operatingcrimpingplates, with a pivoted tension-plate having spring-fingers s,and provided with the loop 82, and the tension-spring having a shiftingconnection in said loop, substantially as described, for the purposespeoified.

5. The combination, in a machine for plaiting fabrics, of feeding andcompressing rolls,

IOO

IIO

arranged to receive the fabric 'from a table,

With a crimping-plate Operating Vcrtically through an opening in saidtable and a plate operating horizontally beneath said table to deliverthe folds or plaits suocessively made in the fabric to the feeding andcompressing rolls, substantially as described.

6. The combination of a pair of rolls and a device for regulating thetension of the fabrio during the operation of crimping with the feed-bedand coacting crimping-plates, one of which is arranged to operateVertically through the table in close proximity to the rolls, the otherbeing arranged to operate horizontally beneath the feed-bed in line withthe meeting faces of said rolls, substantially as described.

7. The combination, in a plaiting-inachine, of the feed-bed, thefeed-rolls and the crimping-plates, With a lever connectingsaid plates,a cam-disk, and ahorizontal slide connecting the cam and lever foroperation, substantiall y as described.

8. The combination, With the table and the rolls, of a crimping-platearranged to operate vertcally in front of said rolls and a platearranged to operate horizontally in front of and in line With themeeting sides of said rolls, and means whereby the plates are caused tooperate in al-ternate order with a continuous feed of the rolls, for thepurpose described.

9. The combination, with the co-operating plaiting-rolls and verticallyand horizontally Operating crimping-plates, of a tension-plate for thefabric and an adjustable spring having a shifting connection With saidtension-plate, substantially as described.

In testimony Whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing Witnesses.

PEDRO DE MELLO SOUZA, JR.

Witnesses:

A. E. H. JOHNSON, J. W. HAMILTON J oHNsoN.

